Lubricant handling apparatus



March 5, 1940. K, c, EAGLEY 2,192,862

LUBRICANT HANDLING APPARATUS Filed July 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR March 5,1940. K. c. EAGLEY LUBRICANT HANDLING APPARATUS FiledJuly 20, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Kai; agayl Patented Mu. 5, 1940PATENT OFFICE LUBRICANT HANDLING APPARATUS Karl C. Eagley, Erie,

Pa.,, assignor to Service Manufacturing Co. Inc., Erie, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania Application July 20, 1937, Serial No.154,539

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to lubricant drum cabinets and moreparticularly to the type of drum cabinets required for automotiveservice.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cabinet for housingdrums of lubricant that may readily be replenished with new drums asrequired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a readilyaccessible cabinet that will perthe replacement of new drums with easeand despatch.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a strong anddurable cabinet for housing lubricant drums and yet one that is easilydisassembled so as to expose the interior thereof for the withdrawal orreplacement of lubricant drums. I

A further object of the present invention is to provide a lubricant drumcabinet that will not only completely enclose a lubricant dum but alsoits associated pumping or dispensing mechanism, so as to shield the samefrom view.

The present invention consists of a novel relationship between lubricantreservoir, lubricant receiver or dispenser and base and housingtherefor, whereby not only the lubricant reservoir but also thelubricant'dispensing mechanism may be completely concealed from View bya single housing capable of giving ready access to the entire lubricantreservoir as well as dispensing pump, whereby the advantages of completeenclosure as well as the advantages of ready accessibility may beadvantageously combined.

The present invention further consists of a novel combination oflubricant reservoir and dispensing pump and base and housing therefor,wherein the base, reservoir and pump may remain stationary while thehousing is swungabout an axis of pivotation into either one of twopositions, that is, into an encasing position, or into an inoperative orclearance position without disturbing either the reservoir or dispensingpump carried thereby while the housing is swung into either one or theother of its two positions.

The present invention further consists of other novel features anddetails of construction all of which will appear more fully from thefollowing detailed description and accompanying drawings and as moreparticularly set forth in the claims hereto appended.

For thepurpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in theaccompanying drawings two forms thereof which are at present preierred,since the same have been found in pracmit the removal of old drums oflubricant and tice tofigive satisfactory and reliable results, althoughit is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which theinvention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that theinvention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization ofthe instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicatelike parts:

Figure 1 represents a front elevational View of one form of a lubricantdispensing drum cabinet embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 represents a side elevational view of the cabinet shown inFigure l with the upper hinged panel unit arrested in an intermediatepartially opened position.

Figure 3 represents a side elevational view of the removable panel ofthe cabinet illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 represents a perspective view on a smaller scale of the samecabinet in its completely disassembled position.

Figure 5 represents an inside perspective view of the removable panel ofthe cabinet illustrated in Figure 4.

Figure 6 represents a section taken on line 6-6 of Figure 1 looking inthe direction of the arrows.

Figure '7 represents a section on an enlarged scale taken on line 1-4 ofFigure 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 8 reprewnts a section on an enlarged scale taken on line 8-8 ofFigure '7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 9 represents a section on an enlarged scale on line 9-9 of Figure7, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 10 represents a perspective view of a lubricant-receiving drumcabinet forming another embodiment of the present invention.

One embodiment of the present invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 9,inclusive, consists of a cabinet Ii adapted to house within itlubricantreceiving or lubricant-dispensing drums, and so arranged as tobe readily dismantled or disassembled so as to permit of ready access tothe inside thereof and further permit of the unhindered replacement orremoval of a lubricant drum.

The housing cabinet H includes a drum supporting base l2 which may be ofa generally rectangular outline or if the cabinet is to be ofcylindrical rather than rectangular form, this base may be of a circularoutline. This drumsupporting base l2 is-prefer'ablymounted on aplurality of freely pivoted casters I3 which permit of the readymovement of the cabinet assembly to any desired location.

The side shielding panels I4, I5 and I6, and the top shielding panel I!of the cabinet I I are preferably permanently united, and in thedisassembling operation to be hereinafter described in greater detail,these united panels are capable of pivoting about an edge 20 of thedrum-supporting base I2 by means of a hinge I8 extending along the majorportion of the edge 20 of the base I2. The upper leaf of this hinge IBis secured to an inturned flange I9 formed along the lower edge of, andintegrally with the side panel I4, the lower leaf of the hinge I8 beingsecured to the top front edge 20 of the base I2.

These pivoting side and top shielding panels I4, I5, I6 and II areseparate and distinct from the cabinet drum-supporting base I2 and areadapted to be jointly pivoted about the front base edge 28 until theupper portion of the panel I4 meets the floor surface. In this positionthe upper surface of the base I2 is fully exposed, and as may be seen inFigure 4, the lubricant drum 2! may then readily be lifted into itsproper position on the drum-supporting base I2 or removed therefrom, thecabinet panels which have been jointly swung down to the floor nothindering in any manner the replacement or removal of the drum. Theshielding side panel 22 is made removable so as to permit thedrum-shielding panels I4, I5, I6 and I] to be lowered to the floor fromtheir encasing position without interfering with the enclosed lubricantdrum and associated pumping mechanism. This removable side panel 22 maybe provided with two inturned side flanges 23 and 24 adapted to beoperatively interposed between corresponding side flanges '25 and 26disposed along side edges of the two shielding panels I5 and I6.

The two cabinet side panels I5 and I6 of the cabinet are provided withshort inturned segments 21 and inturned end flanges 25 and 28 formingchannel units which give the cabinet greater strength.

The cabinet panels I4 and 22, respectively, may be of a shallow U-shapedcross-section, with the inturned ends 23 and 24 of these two panels,which constitute the short legs of the U, meeting the correspondingadjacent inturned panel end flanges 25 and 26. The shielding panel I4 ispreferably permanently united to the shielding panels I5 and I6 bywelding together the adjacent edges 28 and 29 of these panels; theremovable shielding panel 22 being adapted for removable engagement withthese panels I5 and I6. The top panel I! as well as its adjacent shortupper panel 30 may be formed in continuation of the front panel I4 andare both preferably of the same cross-sectional shape.

The drum-supporting base I2 may be provided with a series of guidinglugs 3| and 32 which coact with the edges of inturned flanges 33 and 34formed along the lower edges of the panels I5 and I6, respectively, toguide the downwardly descending flanges 33 and 34 and thus guide thetilting portion of the cabinet into its proper vertical positionWithrespect to the lubricant drum-supporting base I 2, and prevent anymisalignment or twisting of the tilting portion of the cabinet withrespect to this base. A pair of short angular shaped combined door stopand anchoring plates 35 and 36 may be spot welded to the upper surfaceof the bottom inturned side panel flanges 33 and 34, these platesserving a dual purpose, firstly, to act as a door stop for the lowerportion of the removable panel 22, and secondly to act as anchoringmeans for detachably securing the tilting portion of the cabinet to thebottom drumsupporting base I2. Wing bolts 3'! may be provided to passthrough suitable holes in these anchor plates 35 and 36 and adapted forscrewthreaded engagement with correspondingly aligned screw threadedopenings 38 in the base I2. Panel-locking snap-catches 39 may be securedto the inside edges of the lower end of the removable panel 22, by meansof the catch-supporting brackets 40; the outwardly projectingspringpressed tongues of these catches coacting with the edges of theinturned panel side flanges 25 and 26 to hold the removable panel 22 inplace.

The removable panel 22 may be placed in its operative position after thetilting portion of the cabinet has been swung from the floor to anupright position, by inserting its upper projecting flange 4I into acorresponding panel-securing slot 42 formed along the under side of thefixed short upper panel 33. This slot or opening 42 may be formed bysecuring a member 43 of Z-shaped cross-sectional area to the innersurface of the upper panel 30, as illustrated particularly in Figure 6.The lower end of the removable panel 22 is then rotated from itsposition as outlined in dashed and dotted lines in Figure 6;-its lowerend approaching and entering between the inturned panel side flanges 25and 26 until it abuts the stops 35 and 38, when the snap-catches 39 lockthis panel 22 in its now vertical position. If desired, the panel 22 maybe provided with a reinforcing plate 44 along the inside of the loweredge thereof, thus serving to prevent any bending or twisting of thisremovable panel.

As illustrated particularly in Figures 2 and 4, a lubricant-supply unit,which ordinarily would consist of a lubricant drum 2| an air supply hose45, an air operated and detachably secured pumping unit 46, a flowregistering meter 41 and a lubricant-dispensing hose 48 may be placedupon the cabinet base I2 and may be aligned therewith by means ofarcuate drum-centering base ribs 49 which guide the depending lower rimof the lubricant drum 2I into its proper central position with respectto the drum-supporting base I 2. Two hoses 45 and 41 may pass throughsuitable openings 50 and SI centrally located with respect to the loweredges of the shielding panels I4 and 22, respectively, the air hosebeing led from a compressed air source, and the lubricant hose leadingto a lubricant-dispensing nozzle. If desired, these two hoses may bothpass through the same opening in either the front or the rear panel.Should a compressed air high-pressure booster unit be provided at thelubricant-dispensing nozzle at the end of the lubricant hose, a third oradditional hose carrying air would be furnished leading from the airsupply inlet of the pump unit 46 through the opening 50 in the shieldingpanel I4 and ending at the booster unit.

The shielding panel I4 may also be provided with a suitable windowopening 52 which will expose to view the inner flow registering meter41,

should such a meter be included in the lubricant 54 when it is in itsinoperative position as indicated in full lines in Figure 10. In use,this funnel-shaped member 54 is withdrawn from its seat in the top panel53 and extended to any desired position as indicated in dashed anddotted lines. The waste oil may be conducted from this funnel member 54to the lubricant-receiving drum, disposed within the hinged cabinet, bymeans of any suitable flexible oil conduit 55. In other respect thecabinet illustrated in Figure 10 is similar to that illustrated inFigures 1 to 9, inclusive.

In operation, the shielding panel 22 is removed, the hinged panel unitis swung to the floor, and a lubricant supply drum or emptylubricant-receiving drum is placed upon the lubricant drumsupportingbase i 2 and aligned therewith by means of the arcuate drum-centeringbase ribs 49. If the unit is intended for use as a lubricant dispenser,the pumping unit 46 and its associated flow meter, if there be one, arethen detachably secured to the upper end of the lubricant supply drum.The lubricant hose 48 is then passed through the lower hose opening 50in the shielding panel It and this hose together with the air supplyhose 45 may then be respectively secured to the lubricant outlet and airinlet openings of the air-driven pumping unit 46. The pivoting portionof the cabinet, consisting of the shielding side panels l4, I5 and i5,and the upper shielding panel H is then raised to a vertical position,the base lugs 3i and 32 serving to guide the side panel flanges 33 and 31, respectively, and thus place the panel unit in proper alignment withthe corresponding edges of the drum-supporting base E2. The wing bolts3'! are thus also brought into operative juxtaposition with the screwthreaded openings 38 in the base 52. This pivoting portion of thecabinet is then secured in its upright position by screw-threadedlyengaging these wing bolts 3'! with the screw-threaded base openings 38.The upper panel-securing flange ll of the closure panel 22 is theninserted into the longitudinal opening t2, and the bottom of thisclosure member 22 is then moved toward the [base and inserted betweenthe inturned side panel flanges 25 and 25 and brought up against theangular stop plates 35 and 3B, the snapcatches simultaneously lockingthe bottom of this rear panel 22 in a vertical position. The cabinet isthen ready for use, and may be wheeled to any desired location.

If desired, a prong or hook may be provided on the cabinet forsupporting the free end of the lubricant hose and its associatedlubricant dispensing nozzle when not in use. A pull or handle may alsobe provided on the exterior of the closure panel 22 to facilitate theremoval and the replacement of this panel.

The panel it may also be provided with a diagonal identifying stripe 56adapted to have superimposed thereon any suitable indicia which willserve to clearly and readily indicate the character and class oflubricant housed within the cabinet. Typical of such identifyingexpressions are terms such as chassis, spring spray", gear lube, and oildrain, etc., the latter term being appropriate for the type of cabinetillustrated in Figure 10.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it istherefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive reference being had to theappended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate thescope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is hereby claimed as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A lubricant receiving device'including a base, a lubricant receivingreservoir carried on said base and spaced inwardly from the outermostboundaries thereof, a laterally extensible lubricant receiving funnelmember operatively connected with the top of said lubricant receivingreservoir by means of lubricant flow conducting means, a housing carriedby said base exteriorly of said lubricant reservoir and completelyencasing the same, said housing being hingedly connected with said baseand capable of being swung generally clear of said lubricant receivingreservoir, said housing having an upper perforated opening for seatingsaid funnel member when in its non-extended position.

2. A readily transportable lubricant service cabinet for operativelyhousing a relatively largesized up-ended lubricant drum while lubricantis being either supplied to or dispensed from said drum, said cabinetbeing substantially greater in height than width or depth and includinga low drum-supporting base mounted on caster wheels and a housing havingside walls generally extending the full height of said cabinet andincluding a removable side panel operatively engageable therewith, saidhousing being pivotally connected at a lower edge thereof to said lowbase, thereby to permit'said housing to be swung to the floor clear ofsaid up-ended drum to provide access thereto.

3. A lubricant service cabinet for operatively housing a relativelylarge-sized up-ended lubricant drum while lubricant is being eithersupplied to or dispensed from said drum, said cabinet beingsubstantially greater in height than in width or depth and including alow drum-supporting base and a housing having side walls generallyextending the fullheight of said cabinet and including a top panel,three generally perpendicular side panels fixedly related to each otherand to said top panel along adjoining edges, the central side panelbeing pivotally connected at a lower edge thereof to said low base, anda removable side panel operatively engageable with and disengageablefrom said fixedly related panels to permit the latter jointly to beswung to the floor clear of said up-ended drum to provide accessthereto.

4. A lubricant service cabinet for operatively housing a relativelylarge-sized up-ended lubricant .drum while lubricant is either beingsupplied to or dispensed from said drum, said cabinet beingsubstantially greater in height than in width or depth and including alow drum-supporting base and a housing having side walls generallyextending the full height of. said cabinet and including a removableside panel operatively engageable therewith, said housing beingpivotally connected at a lower edge thereof to said low base, thereby topermit said housing to be swung to the floor clear of said up-ended drumto provide access thereto, said removable panel being engageable withsaid cabinet generally opposite the pivotal connection between saidhousing and said base.

5. A lubricant service cabinet for housing lubricant dispensingapparatus operable interiorly of said cabinet and including a lubricantpump associated with an up-ended lubricant drum, said cabinet beingsubstantially greater in height than in width or depth and including alow drumsupporting base and a housing having side walls generallyextending the full height of said cabinet and including a removable sidepanel operatively engageable therewith, said housing being pivotallyconnected along a lower edge thereof to said base at a point generallyopposite said removable panel thereby to permit said housing to be swunggenerally clear of said lubricant pump and associated up-ended drum andlowered to the floor to provide access .to said dispensing apparatus.

6. A lubricant service cabinet for housing lubricant dispensingapparatus operable interiorly of said cabinet and including an up-endedlubricant drum, a pumping unit and a flow meter, said cabinet beingsubstantially greater in height than in width or depth and including alow drumsupporting base and a housing having side walls generallyextending the full height of said cabinet, said housing being spacedfrom said upended lubricant drum, pumping unit and flow meter andincluding an unbroken top panel, three generally perpendicular sidepanels fixedly related to each other and to said top panel alongadjoining edges, the central side panel being pivotally connected at alower edge thereof to said low base, one of said fixedly related panelsbeing provided with an aperture for exposing the face of said flow meterto view, and a removable side panel operatively engageable with anddisengageable from said fixedly related panels to permit the latterjointly to be swung to the floor clear of said up-ended drum, pump unitand flow meter to provide access thereto.

'7. A readily transportable cabinet of the class described including alow base adapted to support a relatively large-sized up-ended lubricantdrum, said base being mounted on caster wheels, a multi-piece andseparable housing associated with said base and adapted completely toencase said lubricant drum, said housing being substantially greater inheight than in width or depth and having side walls generally extendingthe full height of said cabinet and including one part hingedlyconnected with the base and another part detachably connectibletherewith and with said base, and together forming a generally completeenclosure about said lubricant drum, said base being provided with twoseries of guiding ribs, one for guiding said lubricant drum into aproper position on said base, and the other for vertically guiding thehingedly connected part of said housing into proper alignment with saidbase.

8. A lubricant service cabinet for automotive lubricant dispensing andlubricant reception purposes comprising a readily transportable basemounted upon caster wheels, a separate and distinct encasing housingunit hingedly secured to the base, whereby said housing unit may bepivotally lowered to the floor surface thereby to give ready access tothe space immediately above said base, guiding means for verticallyguiding said housing unit into its properly aligned position withrespect to the base, locking means for detachably securing the loweredge of said hinged housing unit to said base, a removable panel adaptedfor operative engagement with said housing unit in its vertical encasingposition, and panel locking means for detachably securing said removablepanel in said operative position.

KARL C. EAGLEY.

